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Our history

The history of Carlos I dates back to 1889, when a cellarmaster in Jerez discovered some mysterious casks in a corner of his cellar. Neither he nor anyone else knew where they came from, but he immediately realised they contained the finest brandy he had ever tasted. “A brandy to conquer the world”, he thought. And that is why he named it after the Spanish King, Carlos I.

The image of the great emperor, painted by Titian to commemorate his victory in the battle of Mühlberg (1548), is the inspiration for the emblem, an unmistakable element featured on all of our bottles and cases.

What makes a King unique?

Origin

Our brandy comes from Andalusia, in the southern tip of Europe. There, in the heart of the magical town of El Puerto de Santa María, lies our winery.

The region is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and two rivers, the Guadalete and Guadalquivir; these waters, together with the prevailing east and west winds, create a true microclimate. These conditions play a key role in the preparation and ageing of brandies from the Jerez region. The result is a unique brandy.

Legacy

Our winery was founded in 1772 by Thomas Osborne. Since then, his knowledge and skill in the art of making brandies, wines and other top quality beverages has been passed down through the generations. From the careful selection of our grapes to the wood used in our casks and our adherence to the traditional alquitara distillation technique, Thomas Osborne’s legacy has been assiduously refined over the years.

Legacy

One of the cornerstones of this unique legacy also dates from the 18th century – our bodegas. These monumental buildings were built to store wine before being shipped abroad, and were called “cathedrals” due to their height, arches, and layout. The 2 foot-thick outer walls, usually made of sandstone or brick, help maintain the inside temperature and humidity at a constant level, thus preventing any variations in the bodega’s microclimate from potentially affecting the quality of our brandies.

This priceless legacy is our most valuable asset.

Mastery

Every drop of Carlos I carries with it a piece of history. This is not just a metaphor. The reason for this comes from the regional Criaderas y Solera ageing system created in the 19th century.

Young wines, called holandas, need time to settle, develop and be mixed and enriched with more mature distillates. The best way to do this is the Criaderas and Solera system, in which master winemakers use their extensive knowledge to blend the mature “Solera” distillates with those that are younger and fresher from the “Criaderas” to obtain a unique mixture that defines the personality and character of Carlos I.

This dynamic ageing system allows aromas to develop and combine to achieve an incomparable harmony of flavours.

Flavour

The wind, the wood, the bodega, the grape. A complex combination of elements gives Carlos I its unique flavour.

The cool, damp, westerly wind blowing in from the Atlantic shapes the noblest flavours, such as ship’s wood, damp soil, toasted aromas, while the strong gusts of the easterly wind brings the scents of the Mediterranean: orange peel, willow, aged wine, apricots and plums.

The final miracle occurs while the brandy is matured for more than 20 years in American oak casks previously used for oloroso and amontillado sherries. The amontillado sherry gives it a sharpness and notes of almonds and hazelnuts, while the oloroso enriches the brew with aromas of walnut and aged oak and increases the tannin content, thus giving Carlos I its elegant, noble flavour.

Awards

Carlos I, famous for its quality, has earned the most prestigious international awards. This is a source of great pride that brings with it the responsibility of maintaining this prestige wherever our brandy is sold.

Why is it called Brandy?

In the 16th century, a Dutch chemist found a way to reduce the cost of storing and transporting a particularly large wine harvest by distilling the wines to reduce their volume. He called the resulting brew “brandewinj”. The English found this impossible to pronounce, and dubbed it “brandy”.

What makes Brandy de Jerez unique?

Many factors combine to create the unique organoleptic characteristics of Brandy de Jerez: The use of Airén and Palomino grapes, the Criaderas and Solera ageing system, the special regional climatic conditions and its ageing in American oak casks previously used for the best Jerez wines. It is simply inimitable.

Criaderas and Solera System: a system native to Jerez

This unique ageing system was created in Jerez in the 19th century, and consists of mixing younger wines with more mature brews. The casks are arranged in tiers: with those on the top tiers being occupied by the Criaderas, or young wines, and those closest to the floor, or Solera, by the more mature blends. When part of a Solera cask is extracted for bottling, it is filled with the same amount of brandy from the tier above. In this way, the younger brandies acquire the characteristics, aromas and notes of the older brews.

Brandy and Cognac: not so different

Brandy is aged in close grained, leak-proof American oak casks with a high tannin content that give the brandy a creamy aroma, while cognac is aged in hard, fibrous, medium grained French “Limousin” or “Tronçais” oak casks which give the cognac a spicy aroma.

The secret of the perfect drink

The ideal amount of brandy is one that by placing the glass on its side, the liquid does not spill out.

The aroma and flavour are not neutralised by ice, as they simply become gradually diluted to create a new flavour dimension and prolong your enjoyment of the drink.

More than just a drink?

A professor of philosophy from the University of Arkansas discovered in a 17th century Hebrew text that the liquid used in the first thermometer was not mercury, but brandy. A particularly good brandy, perhaps?

Vineyards - our legacy

Each year, 300 million kilos of grapes grown in 100,000 hectares of vineyards, the equivalent of over 130,000 football pitches, are used in the production of Brandy de Jerez. With such a vast area, it’s no wonder that Spain is known as the “largest vineyard in the world”.

Arab legacy

Unlike the traditional stills used to distil most alcoholic beverages, such as whisky, rum or gin, the best quality Brandy de Jerez is distilled in Moorish pot stills. Brought to Spain in the 7th century by the Arabs who occupied the country for several hundred years, the alquitara was used to distil wine to obtain alcohol for medical and cosmetic purposes. It is the oldest known distillation method.